Last Comic Standing 3
Handicapping The Field
Preview by C.C. McCandless
August 28, 2004
NBC's stand-up comedy reality showcase, Last Comic Standing, garnered surprising ratings and even an Emmy nomination this summer. So, in the grand tradition of unproven, short shelf-life reality programs, NBC is taking advantage of the opportunity to run the show into the ground while it still has some semblance of a pulse. The show premieres with a 90 minute episode on Monday before settling into its normal Tuesday schedule. However, this isn't just another incarnation of the formula used before-instead, the comics from seasons one and two will face off head-to-head.
So here's what we know, or think we know: each of the ten finalists from the two seasons will be involved. There will be no immunity, and less stuff shot at the house.
And finally, and most importantly to some fans, the viewers will vote every week. The exact format is still unclear, but it's safe to assume that at least two performers, and possibly more, will be taking the stage each week at the "historic Alex theater" to perform. And yes, I'm still waiting for someone, anyone, to tell me anything historic that has ever happened there.
So season one versus season two should be interesting, to say the least. It's quite clear that both had comics both loved and loathed by viewers. So to get ready for the showdown, here's my handicapping of the field-now, nothing says that these people will actually compete in this order, but it's just the way I'm going to break it down. I'm ranking them from ten to one, based on actual order of finish, general opinions of fans, similarity of personality and/or material, and my own gut feelings. Feel free to let me know what you think as well, as many of you did during season two.
#10: Tere Joyce vs. Bonnie McFarlane: this is a tough one to call. Neither comic really seemed to connect with viewers, although I think that Bonnie has a lot more potential. Her material can be smart, and if she goes up with an audience that "gets her," she could do really well. Meanwhile, Tere Joyce was just annoying. On, and Coolio called, and he wants his haircut back. Advantage: LCS2.
#9: Sean Kent vs. Ant: Cancer Cowboy vs. the Preening Queen. They have one major similarity-the fact that neither one is remotely funny. Sadly, a third season gives Ant even more ammo for his "I'm the Susan Lucci of Last Comic Standing" shtick, which I need about as much as I need a bag on my head. Which might be a good idea, actually, if I have to watch these two face off. However, someway, somehow, Ant does have a fan base. Whereas Sean is completely forgettable. Ant wins this match up, and we didn't need Scooby Doo to solve that mystery. Advantage: LCS2.
#8: Geoff Brown vs. Corey Holcomb: Tough call. For some reason, I don't even remember much of Geoff's sets during season one, I just remember him being really surly around the house. Which is neither here nor there. Corey can be funny, and he seems to come up with lots of fresh material. But if he brings out the same jokes he just used, he'll probably get beat here. Too close to call. Advantage: push.
#7: Tess Drake vs. Kathleen Madigan: to me, this is a total mismatch. Kathleen inexplicably underachieved on LCS2. She's a veteran comic with a wealth of good material, and usually she's always reliable for a good set. Maybe not getting challenged hurt her. Or perhaps she just really hated the whole "Real World" vibe in the house. But for whatever reason, she just wasn't good this summer and I'm looking for her to redeem herself. As for Tess, well, I'm not seeing it. Advantage: LCS2.
#6: Rob Cantrell vs. Todd Glass: Some people just HATE Todd Glass. Hate him. He didn't bother me. Sure, his antics in the house got a little annoying, and his sets verged on manic. But he was occasionally funny. "Bobert" was pretty humorous on season one as well, and in his case, absence might make the heart grow fonder…something that has no chance of happening for Todd. Advantage: LCS1.
#5: Cory Kahaney vs. Tammy Pescatelli: I can't event talk rationally about the possibility of these two facing off due to my complete loathing of both of them. You can count on stale, clichéd material from either one. With the same themes every time. For me, this is why TiVo has a fast forward button. Advantage: I physically cannot pick one to have an advantage, so I'll call it another push.
#4: Dat Phan vs. Jay London: Wow. Yes, I know that Dat Phan won, and maybe just for that I should rate him higher. But come on. Unless he's hired some writers, we know what we're going to get. I actually enjoyed the stuff that he did have-the problem was that he only had ten minutes of it. Did he ever get that Comedy Central special? How did he fill half an hour? Did he just do his whole set twice?
And then there's Jay London. And I'll take this moment to acknowledge each and every one of you that e-mailed me after my "I don't know a single person who thinks Jay London is funny" comment. I get it. You've been heard. You're out there. Now, a head to head match up between these two would be classic. You know exactly what you're going to get in either case. You like it or you don't. But Jay was riding a cresting wave of support, while the Dat Phan backlash was so severe that I think his neck is still sore from it. Advantage: LCS2. Thank you…
#3: Ralphie May vs. Alonzo Bodden: now we're getting down to it. Ralphie was a favorite heading into the finals of LCS1, but his set fell undeniably flat. Plus some people just don't dig him with his polarizing material. Same thing applies to Alonzo. But the difference is that Zo always delivers the goods. Always. This guy is funny every time he speaks. He's polished, he's smart, and he might win the whole thing this time around. Advantage: LCS2.
#2 Dave Mordal vs. Gary Gulman: a match up of two guys that are just adored by tons of fans. It's common knowledge that Dave got hosed during season one. His style and sense of humor connect with legions of viewers, and he also seems like a generally nice guy. As for Gary, he weathered a barrage of challenges to advance to the final three. Also, it seems that the ladies really dig him. Maybe this time we'll get a set free of cookie jokes. I mean, they're fine, but we don't need them every week. Advantage: LCS1.
#1 Rich Vos vs. John Heffron: this one is an easy call for me, simply because I find Rich Vos staggeringly unfunny. He's coarse, abrasive, and loud, which is fine, except that he's all of those things while being completely humorless. I just don't get all of the Vos-love. Now, if you do want him to make you laugh, look for some old pictures of him on the internet, when he had a Kenny G haircut and a set of teeth that are better left undescribed. Talk about high comedy…
As for Heffron, I love the guy. And I swear it has nothing to do with the fact that I bet $20 on him at 10-1 to win the whole thing this summer. Cha-ching! But he's just really funny. Although did anyone catch him on Leno after he won? I think he'd take a do-over on that one. But I love his material and his energy, so he gets the edge here. Advantage: LCS2.
So we tally it up and it reads 6-2-2, with second season hammering season one. Now, of course, it will probably never go down like that. Who knows what the format will be, and how it will be determined who battles whom. And the cynics will cry that, naturally, the producers have already decided all of that. But get over it. One constant plea from the fans was for less BS and more stand-up. Well, you got your wish. Now we'll see how it shakes down.
C.C. McCandless is an independent filmmaker and freelance writer. He has a Bachelor’s degree in broadcasting from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
You can contact C.C. here: ccmcc33@msn.com
